The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-01-08


county; Capt. James 81. Harris of Hamilton county,
both konoraby discharged Union soldiers ana Mrs.
Sarah e. Pittman, of Monroe county. whose husband
is also an honorably discharged Union soldier. They
still constitute said board. The trustees had succeed
ed, by judicious management of the institution IN
paying off large portion of its indebtedness. and
were congratulating themselves upon being able to
make cepairs and beaufy the grounds during the
without increasing the expense of their management
a disastrous fire destroyed the main building
of the institution. but providentially no lives
were lost The building was insured for S25 600.
$50 900 of which has been paid and $5, coo is now
in litigation. The grounds consist OF hftyseven
acres, which valued by the trustees at 50. 500
the walls an foundation of the building at ST OOO
boer-house. boiler and engine, 81 100; laundry
bakery schoolhouse nursery. barn and other build
ings. 50 500; total valuation, $2s.5OO. The
FAY in their report that they have received
from insurance $40, 600. and have borrowed from
maintenance fund for repairs $488.29; total $780,
1885, and that they have contracted for the con-
struction of building. according to the plans
and specifications of their architect for the of
$54 600 exclusive OF the cost of clearing away the
debris tearing down unsafe walls and repairing the
foundation the expenditure account of which IS
set forth in their report The trustees have been
moved to prompt action o rebuild in order that
home may again be provided at early date as
possible for the inmates. and commend their action
to your favorable consideration. l recommend that
the Feeble minded Institution be separated from that
of the Soldiers Orphans Home, and suggest that the
eminded inmates be removed to one OF the new
hospitals now in course of construction.
PENAL AND REFoRMAToRY INSTITUTIONS.
| In speaking of the State prisons. he said:
The report of the directors for the State Prison
South shows that the income of the prison has not
been quite sufficient to meet the current expenses.
The total disbursements. including officers salaries
and S4 BOT 81 expended for repairs for the fiscal year
ending Oct 81 1886, were $S2 255.45; receipts and
ments over receipts, So Cos 33. The directors say
that the buildings old and not convenient for
ufacturing purposes some of them having been
structed fully half century ago. and from their scat
tered position contractors deferred from bidding
for labor account of not being able to work the
men together. The directors recommend appro-
praton for the purpose of making the chapel more at
tractive thereby aiding in the moral reformation of
the prisoners and also the purchase OF the
grounds adjacent to the prison the west to be
added to the prison for the OF stor
| age for contractors and burial ground for the
claimed dead. They advise that upon the completion
of the insane hospitals the hopelessly insane
convicts be ed thereto the prison is unpro
| vided for their care and humane treatment. The
directors also say that there imperative need of
brick stone wall upon the entire west side OF the
inclosure and nearly one half of both the north
ETY.. composed of two-inch plank standing end
and in danger of being blown down or falling from
The reports of the State Prison North for the last
two fiscal show the prison to have been self
| tanning. For the fiscal year ending Oct. 81, 1885
| the receipts and earnings $1O3, 221 81. Total
disbursements, including repairs. officers salaries and
| $26 657 % expended for improvements, were $685..
662I5 The excess of receipts all expenditures
| was So. $685. The monthly average number of
prisoners 7O2; number of deaths. g. and number
of prisoners Oct. 81 1885, 7O3. For the fiscal year
L,
| Sill. 43O 10. Total disbursements. including re-
pairs, addition to library, and officers salaries.
$96, 75237. The receipts over expenditures. $i4,-
year OF 2O8 As and decrease in expenditures of So
95O.15 and increase in net earnings previous
year of $11. 1883. The sanitary condition of the
prison during the last two fiscal years has been excel
lent and the health of the prisoners has been good
| The report of the Reformatory for Women and
Girls for the year 1886 shows that there the
penal department Sd in the reformatory department.,
| 1919. Average number for the year, 181. The ex-
The net earnings of the institution for the year in
Guiding amount received for boarding United
s5 Ss As IL the pet pet
capita cost based entire expenditure $161 .55.
| Earnings per capita, per annum. So. 49, Aggregate
salaries paid officers and employees, So, 25S 40 The
managers recommend the building of a hospital and
chapel Considering that the State is engaged in
the construction OF new and three add.
tona hospitals for the insane and the rebuilding of
the Soldiers Orphans Home and that the chapel is
of sufficient capacity, and be used without much
| inconvenience. l do not feel like recommending its
construction at present but recommend to your
sderation the request of the managers for additional
| hospital room.
The appropriation last year for the maintenance of
the Indiana Reform School for boys $50 600 90
The trustees ask an additional appropriation of $5
600 90. account of needed improvements and also
recommend that legislative provision be made for the
appon rnent of a visitor to visit the boys out on
ticket leave for the purpose of ascertaning the
character of their homes the influences that
them and their general conduct that the management
of the institution may have reliable information in re
|
for homeless boys, whose conduct in the institution
entities them to ticketofleave. / regard the Reform
School of the most important institutions OF
the State and believe that the results in the way
reformation great as to commend it to the fos
tering care of the State. have committed the sen
tence of twenty four boys sentenced by the courts
the State prisons to the and custody of the ns
tuition. recommend that the law governing the in
stitution be amended as to prevent the committa
of boys to the institution that have been guilty of
crime unless it is clearly shown to the that they
are beyond parental control. This amendment deem
important for the purpose Of preventing sep-fathers
and stepmothers. whose children have committed nc
crime and are really not beyond parental control
from procuring their admission to the Reform School
simply for the purpose of bringing about agreeable
ations, and also to prevent parents from procuring
their children to be sent to the institution for the pur
of relieving themselves of
The Constitution of the State provides that 'the
; penal code shall be founded the principles O
and unusual punshments shall not be inflicted: tina
all penalties shall be proportoned to the of tn
offense:" yet our penal system and penal CODE ant
especially the in which the latter is admins
tered could hardly be further from compliance will
those wise and humane provisions of our Constitution
7 Nearly every day our courts sentencing to tn
penitentary young men under twenty-one years O
age in many instances their first oense and in man
: the ofense technical one, and hundreds ar
the penitentary by courts and iuries thereb
blasting their characters forever merely for the pur
pose of saving the county from the expense of la
sentence. which would have been sufficient punish
i ment for the crime committed, and not only ncreas
ing the number of the criminal class but inhcting
/. punishment in violation of the above provisions Q
| our ConSCtuIlOn WHICH says, All punishment Sha
be proportioaed to the nature of the offense Two
thirds of the prisoners in State prisons unde
thirty years of age To expect to reform this class
prisoners with the forced association with hardene
and confirmed criminals. murderers thieves and cou1
terfeiters would be to that evil associations
not contamina.e corrupt. Those who have had e,
T ! perience in the management of prisons. and ais
those who have given careful attention the impress
made upon the character of the young and compar,
lively innocent convict by the aggregate prison sy
.em testify to its hurtfu influence and the almo.
q impossibilty Of efecting reformation under such
system,
D. | The sending of young to the penitentiary fl
slight offenses is Objectionable for the further reaso
that however good his conduct may have been while
h prisoner yet, when discharged, he finds that tt
world does not look kindly ex-peniten.iary co.
vct notwithstanding the offense for which he w.
n convicted not grave It is with great diff
3 Guilty he obtains honorable employment and finds
greater difficulty in gaining admission to good societ
le The icncmiuY of the ex.peEiteDarY follnp